With no timetable for Scott Mayfield's return, Islanders' defense working to pick up slack
Head coach Lane Lambert of the Islanders reacts on the bench during a game against the Colorado Avalanche at UBS Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023 in Elmont. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Scott Mayfield continued to skate on his own on Wednesday with still no timetable for his return from a lower-body injury. So the Islanders will almost certainly be without their veteran third-pair defenseman for a fifth game.
And it will likely mean the ice-time distribution among the six blue-liners will continue to be top heavy against the Senators on Thursday night at UBS Arena as the Islanders look to snap a three-game losing streak.
It seems no coincidence the Islanders’ defense has lagged.
They have allowed 15 goals in the losing streak – five via the power play – and rookie Samuel Bolduc logged just 6:05 of ice time in Tuesday night’s 7-4 loss to the visiting Avalanche. In contrast, Noah Dobson was on the ice for a game-high 26:25, Ryan Pulock played 24:57 and Adam Pelech logged 22:08.
“I’m never going to complain about playing a lot of minutes,” said Dobson, who is averaging 24:12 of ice time. “It’s still early in the year. If we had three, four guys playing 25, 26 [minutes] in March, it could probably tax on you a little more. It’s not ideal with Maysie. He can eat up minutes. When things are rolling, everyone has kind of got their role and everyone is kind of split up where you’re around the 20-minute mark.”
Bolduc’s progress in gaining ice time in the rotation has been slow as he’s averaged 8:49 in his four games.
Bolduc, a second-round pick in 2019, made his NHL debut last season, notching two goals and one assist in 17 games. The 6-4, 220-pounder played in the Islanders’ first two playoff games with Alexander Romanov recovering from a shoulder injury.
He must pass through waivers to be re-assigned to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport and the team did not want to risk losing him after training camp. But the plan was for him to be the seventh defensemen as he learned to be an NHLer.
“It’s not easy,” Bolduc said of the limited ice time. “But you just have to be ready all the time so when he calls my name to go, I’ll be ready.
“It could be better, for sure. There are always things you want to do better in every situation. Be more assertive and think less on the ice and I’ll be fine.”
Coach Lane Lambert said a lot of the ice-time distribution on Tuesday was situational as he was trying to match his best defenders against the Avalanche’s top line and “[Nathan] MacKinnon came out every second shift it seemed at times.”
“It was situational,” Lambert said. “But the biggest thing that young players have to learn in this league is that you have to be very assertive every shift. You can’t take a second off. It’s a very demanding thing to be able to understand and [Bolduc's] still learning and growing with that.”
Notes & quotes: Goalie Ilya Sorokin is expected to start against the Senators…Forwards Julien Gauthier and Hudson Fasching are expected to remain healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
